Most of the events in this chapter are based on episode 21, Fly, Wings of Dreams!
THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 6
There was a loud clang when two swords came together before both fighters withdrew their weapons to try another strike. The taller man charged at his opponent with a swift slash that would have ripped his uniform if the other man hadn't brought up his sword in defence. Blocking the attack sent him off balance, and he stumbled a few steps backwards. This gave his opponent the perfect chance to attack again, and before anyone could even blink, he had the tip of his blade pointed at the shorter man's throat.
"That was really good!" Gonzales said from the sidelines as the two soldiers relaxed and sheathed their swords. They returned to the row of men while two others took their place, swords ready. Gonzales gave them the sign to begin, and another duel started.
Gabriel was standing among the other soldiers and watching the battle. Normally, it was his job to oversee the practice and make sure the men didn't let their skills get rusty. It was always the highlight of his day when he could challenge the best man of the practice and defeat him easily. Now he was reduced to watching. He had to admit that Gonzales was doing a decent job and that the men were fighting better than usual, but that did little to sweeten his sour mood.
"Alright, next!" Gonzales ordered when the duel ended.
It was a week since the incident with Don José. Gabriel hadn't really talked much to Gonzales since then. He no longer needed as much help as before, and the sergeant didn't drop by just to talk anymore. Gabriel just couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Gonzales was usually so carefree and would engage in conversation with anyone who came his way.
"That was pretty good," he said once the practice was over and the soldiers went to have a brief pause.
"I should hope so. Captain Jekyll gave me the order to have the men train a little. He received word that a group of bandits might have come to the area," Gonzales replied.
"Really? That's interesting," Gabriel said.
"Unsettling, I'd say," Gonzales said with a frown. "But I must now go to sort out some paperwork. Good day, Lieutenant." He turned away and started walking towards the office.
Gabriel watched him go, feeling somewhat troubled. Gonzales had been avoiding him lately. He didn't care for the idea of spending the whole day all alone with nothing to do. It surprised him, too, but Gonzales' company was a far better alternative.
"Wait, Sergeant," he called after him.
"Yes, sir?" Gonzales asked, turning to glance at him over his shoulder.
"I think you have something to say to me."
"What do you mean?" Gonzales replied.
"I've noticed you've been unusually absent lately. Is there something wrong?"
"No, nothing, sir."
"Don't be an idiot! Of course there is, or otherwise you wouldn't be acting like that. Tell me what you have on your mind right now!" Gabriel demanded, not even trying to hide his irritation. Gonzales was supposed to obey his orders and do what he said.
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea," Gonzales said.
"And why not?"
Gonzales glanced to his side, avoiding looking directly at Gabriel. "You'd just get angry at me, sir."
"I'm already angry at you, so nothing would be lost."
"Fine," Gonzales said after a moment of consideration. He drew a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I still don't know what to think about how you didn't believe me when I said I didn't try to kill Don José." He winced, like he was expecting to be hit after such words.
"That's what's bothering you?" Gabriel asked. In retrospect, he guessed he should have realised that. Gonzales was too emotional to be a soldier. He clearly couldn't put his feelings aside and take his work seriously.
"I've been working with you for two years now. It hurt me that you immediately thought the worst of me," Gonzales said.
"All the evidence was against you," Gabriel pointed out.
"Maybe," Gonzales admitted. "But sometimes it's more important to believe the person, not the evidence. I would have believed you if you had been in my place."
Gabriel wanted to roll his eyes at these words, but he knew Gonzales was right. He would have believed anyone if they had pleaded their case convincingly enough. That was exactly why he and Jekyll hadn't believed him. Anyone could say they were innocent, but it had no worth as long as they couldn't prove it.
"That's one reason why you're still just a sergeant," he remarked.
"Maybe you're right," Gonzales said in defeat. He saluted before adding, "If you'll excuse me, sir."
Gabriel frowned as Gonzales turned around and resumed his march towards the office. So, he really was upset because of that misunderstanding. Typical. How was he going to solve this problem? If a week had gone by without Gonzales seeing reason, it was safe to assume he wouldn't forget about the issue any time soon. As far as Gabriel was concerned, he hadn't done anything wrong and the sergeant was just being childish. He would have pondered the situation a little longer if he hadn't noticed that Captain Jekyll was walking towards him.
"Good day, Lieutenant. How are you doing?" Jekyll asked.
"Oh, good day, sir. I'm already feeling much better."
"I'm glad. Then you can surely return to service once your leave is over."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"I hope you'll be in full health by that time. How is your shoulder doing?" Jekyll asked and nodded at Gabriel's arm. He was still carrying it in a sling to ease the pain that refused to go away even though the wound was mostly healed, at least on the surface.
"It's getting better," Gabriel said. Dr. Timothy had said the pain was normal and that the shoulder would probably ache for a long time even after it was completely healed. He was sure he could take that; he wouldn't have joined the army if he hadn't been ready for some discomfort every now and then. The burn of the pain would serve as a welcome reminder of how he couldn't rest before he had defeated Zorro.
"Good," Jekyll said. "Have you seen Sergeant Gonzales? I want him to go to the station today in my place."
"He just went to the office."
"Alright, thank you," Jekyll said. He pondered something for a moment. "Say, Lieutenant?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Have you already talked to Sergeant Gonzales about the incident with Don José?" Jekyll asked.
Gabriel frowned in confusion. "I'm not sure I understand, sir."
"I think we were all unfair to the sergeant by accusing him so soon. I've already apologized to him, and I wish you'd do that, too," Jekyll said.
"I see no reason to apologize," Gabriel said swiftly, balking at the mere thought. He should apologize to that bumbling fool? He hadn't done anything wrong; he had simply been following the correct protocol of such situations. Then there was the fact that Gonzales was a complete idiot, barely deserving the rank he had.
As if reading his thoughts, Jekyll said, "We did nothing wrong officially, but I think we made a mistake as fellow men. We should have had more trust in someone who has been entirely loyal to the army for so long."
"Is this an order?" Gabriel asked.
"No. Just a recommendation from man to man. I hope you'll at least think about it."
"Yes, sir."
Just like that Jekyll to demand something like this from me, he thought in irritation. Raymond would never spare a thought to the feelings of someone as insignificant as Gonzales. Thinking about the commander only worsened his terrible mood because it reminded him of the fact that most of the apologizing he did these days was to him, like when Raymond had blamed him for the incident in which his shoulder had been injured. Compared to that, saying something nice to Gonzales wouldn't be that bad. The sergeant might actually show some appreciation for it instead of just insulting him more. If it eased the tension and made Gonzales stop avoiding him, it just might be worth it.
He was planning to talk to Gonzales before he went to the station in town, but he could never find the sergeant alone anywhere. In the end he had to go to town as well, and he decided to test his strength by walking. He was out of breath and exhausted by the time he got there, but he was glad he had made it in the first place.
The station was nearly empty when he entered. Only Gonzales was there. He was sitting by his desk, writing something down with a determined expression. Gabriel couldn't remember him taking his work that seriously too many times.
"Sergeant?" he asked.
Gonzales looked up from the report he was writing. "Do you need something, sir?"
"Not really," Gabriel said. He took a seat on the other side of the room.
"Alright," Gonzales said and returned to his work. For a moment, Gabriel just watched how he kept writing. Every now and then the sergeant had to stop to think about how to continue, but other than that, he let nothing ruin his concentration. Gabriel could stand being ignored for a few minutes, but after that his patience grew thin.
"That's it," he finally said. "Now you're going to listen to me."
"What?" Gonzales asked.
"Well…" Gabriel said, suddenly not knowing how he wanted to continue. "About what you said before. About how I didn't believe -"
"Oh, no," Gonzales interrupted him. "Don't say anything, Lieutenant."
Gabriel blinked. "But I thought you were upset."
"I am, but that doesn't matter. I know you came here because Captain Jekyll asked you to. Really, Lieutenant, it's not necessary," Gonzales said. He was clutching the feather in his hand as he spoke, no doubt feeling nervous about addressing a superior in such a manner.
"Are you trying to say that I came here for nothing? That you aren't even interested in hearing what I have to say?" Gabriel demanded to know, raising his voice in anger. He could hardly believe the nerve of this man. He was doing his best to be decent to him, and he wasn't going to accept it? That was getting dangerously close to an insult.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I know you aren't really sorry, and I feel it would be uncomfortable for both of us if you apologized," Gonzales said.
"Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?"
Gonzales never had the time to reply because the door was suddenly banged open. Bernard and some older boy Gabriel didn't recognise rushed inside and ran straight to Gonzales.
"Sergeant Gonzales, you have to help us!" Bernard said and slammed his hands on the desk.
"What's going on?" Gonzales asked, jumping up on his feet at the urgency and worry in Bernard's voice.
Bernard pulled a letter from his pocket and gave it to Gonzales. "Bandits are going to take over the ship that's going to set sail soon. You have to do something!" he said.
"Hurry!" the boy by his side added.
"Let's see," Gonzales said as he read the letter.
"Oh, please. Can't you see the boys are clearly trying to trick you?" Gabriel asked.
Everyone turned to look at him, and he got the uncomfortable feeling that they had all forgotten he was even there. The boys glared at him, and Bernard snatched the letter from Gonzales' hands.
"It's not a trick!" he snapped. "Look at this!"
He marched forwards and thrust the letter into Gabriel's hand. Gabriel took one look at it and spotted the hastily drawn plans and scribbles that looked like an illiterate child had written them. Just as he had thought. He crumbled the letter into a ball and threw it away.
"This is a complete waste of time," he declared.
"No, we're telling the truth!" Bernard insisted. For a brief moment, he looked at Gabriel with pleading eyes, but then he turned abruptly away and hurried back to Gonzales.
"Please believe us, Sergeant Gonzales! We're telling the truth!"
"Alright, I'll get a few men. Let's go to the docks together," Gonzales decided.
"Don't be an idiot, Gonzales. Can't you see the boy is lying?" Gabriel asked.
Gonzales shook his head. "I don't think so, Lieutenant. Bernard wouldn't do such a thing."
"Thank you, Sergeant!" the other boy exclaimed in relief.
"Oh, it's no problem, Leonardo. I know what it's like when nobody believes what you're saying," Gonzales said with a friendly chuckle.
"Then let's go," Bernard said.
The two boys and Gonzales hurried out the door without another word to Gabriel. He noticed that Bernard made a cheeky face at him when he thought he wasn't looking. He briefly considered giving him a smack for being such a disrespectful brat. Then he decided to save it for later when it turned out that the boys had tricked Gonzales and wasted valuable time and resources with their lies.
He looked out the window when he heard the others leave on horseback. What idiots. Soon they'd be back empty-handed and then he'd get to gloat about their stupidity. In the meantime, he might just as well stay at the station so that it wouldn't remain empty. He wanted to have some rest before walking back to the barracks, and there was always the chance that some real problem might come up.
Gonzales wished he had had more time to ask Bernard and Leonardo about what was going on, but it was clear they were in a hurry. Bernard had explained that the ship would be setting sail soon and that once it was at sea, nobody could do anything to save the passengers.
"Hurry, men! We have to make it to the docks!" he yelled at the soldiers he had brought with him. There were only two men because they rarely had a large number of soldiers positioned at the station when there was nothing special going on. Most of the men were looking for bandits in the mountains with Captain Jekyll.
Maybe these were actually the same bandits, Gonzales thought in excitement. Oh, wouldn't it be great if he caught them? Then his mother would finally have a reason to be proud of him! Maybe even Commander Raymond would acknowledge his skills instead of always looking at him down his nose.
Gonzales' joy was short-lived, however. Even before they arrived at the docks, he could see from the hills that the ship had left. Even if they got a boat, they would never catch it.
"Oh, no," Bernard said in disappointment.
"What are we going to do now?" Leonardo asked, wringing his hands.
"Don't worry, boys. I'll think of something," Gonzales said, though he wasn't feeling any more confident than them. There simply wasn't anything they could do other than wait for the bandits to abandon ship and let the captain take it back to the docks. His stomach turned at the mere thought. People could be hurt or even die, and he could only sit on his horse and watch.
Suddenly, he spotted a black-clad rider near the docks. Gonzales blinked and squinted his eyes to see better.
"Hey, isn't that Zorro?" he asked.
"Uh…" Bernard said, sounding nervous all of a sudden.
"Maybe he can help!" Gonzales exclaimed. He was about to urge his horse to go to Zorro, but then he noticed how Bernard, Leonardo and the two soldiers were all staring at him in surprise and confusion.
"Shouldn't we arrest him, sir?" one of the soldiers asked.
"Not this time, Carrido. It's more important that we save all the people on the ship. If Zorro can help us do it, so be it," Gonzales said. In truth, he wasn't sure if he wanted to arrest Zorro at all. He couldn't deny that Zorro was causing trouble for the army, but Zorro always did something good, too. Gonzales would never forget that Zorro had known neither he nor Lapaz had tried to murder Don José. He had done everything in his power to find the real criminals.
"Hey, Zorro!" he called out and guided his horse to gallop down the street to the docks.
Zorro turned his head, but there was no surprise on his face. He ordered his horse to turn around to meet Gonzales and waved at him.
"I'm glad to see you here, Sergeant, but I'm afraid we were both too late."
"How did you know to come here?" Gonzales asked.
"I ran into Diego de la Vega by chance. He told me what's going on, but he was too afraid to come and help me."
"I guess this is too much action for him," Gonzales said.
Bernard, Leonardo and the two soldiers reached them. The soldiers, Miguel Carrido and Carlos Francia, were glaring at Zorro with grim frowns on their faces, but they stayed put and didn't try to attack him. Gonzales didn't know how long he'd be able to keep the soldiers at bay, so he hoped Zorro had a good plan.
"We have to do something to get on that ship," Zorro said.
"Maybe there's another ship we could use," Gonzales suggested.
"But where are we going to get one right now?" Bernard asked.
"And even if we find one, we'll never reach the ship in time," Zorro said. Gonzales noticed how hard he was clutching at the reins of his horse. His mouth was a tight line, and even though his hat shadowed his face, Gonzales didn't miss the frustration in his eyes. All of this mirrored his own feelings, and for the first time he truly felt he and Zorro were on the same side.
"Yes," he said with a defeated sigh. "We'd have to be able to fly to reach that ship now."
"Fly?" Zorro asked and turned to look at Bernard and Leonardo. The boys' eyes widened as they realised what Zorro was getting at. It took Gonzales a moment longer, but then he, too, got it.
"It's impossible," he said. It was a good idea in theory, but they had all seen Leonardo's flying machine fail. The boy had been lucky he hadn't got hurt when he had crashed the last time. If the wings didn't carry him, they would never carry a grown man either.
"Not necessarily. We just have to be careful," Zorro said.
"I don't know," Leonardo said, sounding doubtful. "I haven't made any modifications to it since last time. It probably won't work."
"We don't know before we try," Zorro said in determination.
Leonardo shook his head. "But what if something goes wrong again?"
"Leonardo, listen. This is our only hope of saving all the people on the ship. Your friend Lolita is there, too. We have to try," Zorro said.
Bernard grabbed Leonardo by the shoulder and made him turn to look at him. "That's right! You're the only one who can save everyone!" he insisted.
Leonardo lowered his eyes for a moment, deep in thought. Gonzales didn't think this idea was a very wise thing to do. They would just be endangering even more lives and accomplishing nothing. It was easy for Zorro to come up with these ideas, but if something went wrong and Leonardo was hurt, Gonzales would be the one to take the blame for it.
He was about to say just this and tell the others that they had to try something else, but then he saw the new, determined look on Leonardo's face. The flame in his eyes stunned Gonzales into momentary silence, and for a moment the boy looked much older than he really was.
"Alright, let's go. If we get it right away and get to the cliffs, it might not be too late!" he said.
"Great!" Bernard said, his face lit by excitement.
"Sergeant, Leonardo and I will try to reach the ship. I think you and your men should stay here and prepare to arrest the bandits when the ship comes back," Zorro said.
"And what if you fail?" Gonzales asked.
"Try to find a boat somewhere. If we don't make it, you can still try to get the bandits when they leave the ship," Zorro said. He helped Leonardo on his horse, and the two of them were soon on their way to get Leonardo's flying machine.
"Are we really going to let Zorro order us around like that?" Carrido asked.
"What else would you do?" Bernard countered.
"Don't get cheeky with me! Even if we can't get those bandits, we could still capture Zorro," Carrido argued.
"And what about the people on the ship?" Bernard asked, jumping to his feet on the perch of his carriage.
"There's nothing we can do for them!" Carrido snapped.
"Don't get into a fight with a child! We have more important things to do," Gonzales ordered. He frowned as he pondered the situation. He hoped that Zorro and Leonardo would be successful, but he wasn't counting on that.
"My brother lives near here. He's a fisher. Maybe we could borrow his boat," Francia suggested.
"You want to try to catch bandits in a fishing boat?" Carrido asked snidely, but Gonzales and Bernard weren't even looking at him anymore.
"That's better than nothing. Show the way," Gonzales said.
Francia led them down the street and away from the busier and finer parts of the docks. After about some ten minutes of running, the area started to get more rugged. Darkened houses were leaning on each other on both sides of the streets. Gonzales had to cover his nose from the stench of fish that was spreading everywhere from the fishing nets that were hanging at every corner.
Curious and wary faces turned to look at them as they passed. Gonzales couldn't remember ever coming to patrol in this part of San Tasco. The people were probably wondering what the army was doing there.
"Hey, Vicente!" Francia called out, and a man who was leaning against the wall of his house turned to stare at their group. He looked almost exactly like Francia; they were both strongly built and had angular features.
"Carlos? What are you doing here?" he asked. He eyed his brother with a suspicious frown on his face.
"We need to borrow your boat. Is it ready?" Francia asked.
"Why do you need it?"
"We have to catch the ship that just left the docks. There are bandits on board," Francia explained.
Vicente only stared at him for a moment before snorting. "You want to catch bandits in a fishing boat?" he asked.
"That's what I said," Carrido muttered under his breath.
"It's the only way! Please, let us take the boat," Francia insisted.
"You don't need my permission. Doesn't the army always take what it wants?"
Francia opened his mouth to answer, but then he changed his mind and turned back to the others. Gonzales didn't miss how hard he was clenching his jaws.
"Let's go. The boat is here," Francia said.
"Your brother seems to be in a bad mood," Gonzales pointed out.
Francia shrugged. "That's just because there hasn't been enough fish lately."
The boat was at the docks, seemingly in great condition and ready to leave. As Gonzales had been hoping, it had a sail attached to it, so they wouldn't have to row. That would have been useless anyway since the ship was already a good distance away from them.
He felt a little self-conscious as he climbed on board, almost losing his balance in the process. People were gathering to stare at them at the docks. Most of them looked indifferent or even hostile, and nobody made a move to help them.
"No children," he said to Bernard who was about to jump on board as well.
"What? But I want to help!" the boy argued.
"Sorry, but this could be dangerous. Besides, we need room for the bandits when we arrest them," Gonzales said.
"You might want to hurry or you'll be late," Bernard said, pointing up on the sky somewhere behind him.
"What?" Gonzales asked and turned to look. He immediately saw the black spot on the sky. At first he thought it was a bird of some kind, but then he realised that it was too big for that. It looked like one, though, which meant that it could only be one thing.
"I don't believe it," he said, unable to tear his gaze from the sight. When he squinted his eyes, he was sure he could see Zorro's cape swaying in the wind.
"I knew they could do it!" Bernard exclaimed.
"I guess we aren't needed anymore," Carrido said. "This… wanted criminal is going to get the bandits for us."
"He might still need our help. He's alone against them," Gonzales said, but even he didn't believe his words. He had often enough seen Zorro defeat five men all on his own without getting a scratch himself. If they went to join him, they'd just end up looking even more useless. Then again, that was still better than admitting their incompetence and staying here. The people in this part of town clearly didn't like the army, but maybe they'd change their mind if they saw them try to do something good.
"I agree. Let's go," Francia said.
It turned out that Francia was the only one of them who knew how to handle the boat, so Gonzales let him be in charge of that. He moved to the bow where he had the perfect view of Zorro and Leonardo. The two of them had almost reached the ship already. Gonzales held his breath as he watched them circle around the ship until he saw Zorro drop down on deck.
"The battle is already starting! We have to get there!" he yelled at Francia.
"This won't go any faster, sir. Fishing boats aren't meant to race," Francia replied.
"Dammit," Gonzales muttered, gnawing at his lip. He didn't want to let Zorro do everything. He was sure the rebel could do it, but that left an unsatisfied taste in Gonzales' mouth. For once they were doing something they could be proud of. They were trying to protect the people, just like the army was meant to. This was why he had joined the army, and he felt like a failure when he had to leave even this to Zorro.
It took some fifteen minutes before they finally reached the ship. Luckily, the captain had ordered the anchor to be thrown as soon as the battle had started, so the ship hadn't made it any further. Otherwise they would have never reached it in their fishing boat.
From the sound of it, the battle was still going on. Gonzales felt his heart skip a beat. Maybe he could still do something! He jumped on his feet in excitement, forgetting that he was on a boat, and almost fell over to the sea.
"Careful, Sergeant," Carrido remarked.
"This isn't a laughing matter. We have work to do," Gonzales said.
Just then, a man came screaming over board and fell into the sea with a mighty splash. For a moment, Gonzales, Carrido and Francia only sat on their seats, too stunned to move. Their uniforms were drenched, and they almost fell into the water as well when the man grabbed the side of their boat.
"That's one of them! Get him!" Gonzales ordered.
Carrido and Francia staggered on their feet and pulled out their swords, but it was a needless effort. The man in the water immediately let go of the boat and turned to look at them with defeated eyes.
"Please, I surrender. Just let me get out of here."
Gonzales let Carrido and Francia take care of the man. He was more interested in climbing on board so that he could see what was going on there.
"Hey! Can anyone hear me?" he called out to get someone's attention. It took some tries, but finally he saw how Maria popped her head over the side of the ship.
"Sergeant Gonzales? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I came to protect you! Throw me a rope or something!"
"Oh, you shouldn't have bothered. Zorro is here," Maria said, but she did as she was told and went to get a rope ladder.
"I noticed, but this is my job," Gonzales muttered to himself. He took a deep breath before putting his weight on the ladder. It was swinging a little too much to his liking, and right after the first step he found himself wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea to return to the boat and let Zorro handle everything. If he kept going, he'd probably just fall into the water and then everyone would laugh at him.
No, I can do this, he decided. It was just a rope ladder. What kind of soldier was he if he let that be an obstacle? He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he struggled to take another step up. Every time he reached out with his hand to grab a higher step and felt the ladder sway under him, he was certain that he'd fall.
He was actually surprised when he realised that he had made it up on deck. He let out a relieved sigh and straightened his form, taking a look around. The passengers were all gathered on the other side of the deck and were watching Zorro's battle with one of the bandits.
"Sergeant. I'm glad you made it," Zorro said when he noticed him. He stepped aside when his opponent was about to strike at him with his sword. The man stumbled and nearly lost his balance, and Zorro drew back his blade to attack. Gonzales expected to see the familiar Z mark on the bandit's shirt within a split second, but then there was a loud bang and a surprised yell from Zorro. His sword flew from his hand and clattered on the deck, too far away for him to get it in time.
"Not so fast," the leader of the bandits said. He had a smoking pistol in his hand, but he threw it away since there was no time to load it again.
"How are you going to make it two against one when you don't have a weapon?" the bandit Zorro had been about to defeat asked, straightening his form and taking a better grip of his sword.
"Fairing against the two of you won't be a problem," Zorro remarked. He took his whip from his belt and readied it for an attack. He made a swift movement with his arm, and both bandits took a surprised step back when the whip lashed against the deck.
"You can't take both of us out at the same time," the leader said with a smirk. He pulled a long knife from his trousers.
Zorro remained silent, which told Gonzales that he knew how serious the situation was. He couldn't keep an eye on both men at the same time and avoid their attacks, even with the whip. The crowd could only watch in silent worry how Zorro had to back against the side of the ship with a solemn frown on his face.
"Hey, what am I here for?" Gonzales said out loud when he was snapped out of his shock. He unsheathed his sword and stepped forwards, letting out a loud yell to get the bandits' attention.
"Don't move! I'm arresting you in the name of the Spanish Crown!" he said.
Everyone turned to look at him, most of the crowd only now noticing him. Gonzales saw relief on many faces and felt a fresh sense of pride at who he was and what he was doing. He tightened his hold on his weapon and took a step closer to the nearest bandit, the one who was holding a sword.
"Dammit, where did the army come from?" the leader asked.
"Who cares? It's just one man. I know this one. He's an idiot," the other bandit said.
"Then you can handle him. I'll take Zorro."
The other bandit turned around to face Gonzales. A confident smirk was plastered on his face as he stepped closer.
"You think you can defeat me?" he asked.
"Of course I can!" Gonzales said. He didn't wait for his opponent to make a move but charged at him, bringing up his sword and delivering a swift slash. The bandit blocked the attack with relative ease, but his smile disappeared and was replaced with shock at the sergeant's quick action.
Gonzales wouldn't have normally been so bold, but now he felt like there was new, brave blood flowing in his veins. He just couldn't fail now. This time he'd show everyone what he could do. With a growl, he attacked again, not giving the bandit the time to prepare a counter attack. Their blades clashed against each other, and the passengers quickly made way for them so that nobody would be hurt.
From the corner of his eye, Gonzales saw how Zorro fought with the other bandit. He didn't seem to be having too much trouble, so the sergeant forgot about him and concentrated on his own battle. His opponent drew back his sword and attempted to give him a slash to his side, but Gonzales stepped aside just in time and brought down his blade to block the attack. He had to retreat a few steps to get his sword free, but he quickly advanced again.
"Hey, boss! I might need some help here!" the bandit yelled over his shoulder.
"I thought you said he was an idiot!" the leader yelled back.
"I didn't realise that – ack!" the bandit started to say, but he was cut off when he had to bring up his sword in a hasty defence to block an attack that could have caught his shoulder. The movement forced him to twist his wrist into an odd position. Before he could correct it, Gonzales struck again and knocked the sword from the bandit's hand.
"Ha! You weren't expecting that, were you?" he asked and stomped his foot on the fallen sword while pointing his own at the bandit's throat.
"Boss!" the defeated bandit wailed.
"Just a minute! Zorro is almost history!"
Gonzales turned to look and saw that the leader had managed to step on Zorro's whip. He raised the hand that was holding the blade but didn't throw it yet.
"What are you going to do? You're finished!" the leader taunted.
Zorro's muscles tensed as he was preparing to dodge the arrack, but then he glanced up to the sky for a moment. His opponent didn't notice anything, but Gonzales and several people from the crowd looked up. The sergeant nearly called out in surprise when he saw that Leonardo was still up there and was having trouble controlling his flying machine. He had completely forgotten about the boy.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Zorro said.
"What do you mean?" the leader asked.
Zorro smirked and pointed one finger to the sky. "Look up while you still can."
The bandit did so, and the smug smirk on his face vanished when he noticed that Leonardo was about to crash on him. He made the effort to run away, but he barely had the time to take one step before the boy came flying on him and knocked him on his face on the deck.
"How about that?" Zorro asked.
"Haha, for once it was a good thing I crashed," Leonardo said, rubbing his bruised arm.
With their leader down, all the other bandits lost their will to fight back. Even the man Gonzales had defeated only sighed and allowed his hands to be tied. All the bandits were taken to the cargo hold where they would be kept until the ship returned to San Tasco.
Gonzales, Carrido and Francia were busy making sure that all the passengers got their stolen money and items back when Gonzales suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw that it was Zorro.
"That was really good work, Sergeant."
"What? Oh, I was just doing my duty," Gonzales said, even when he couldn't stop himself from blushing with the feeling of accomplishment.
"It was my luck that you were here. I would have had difficulties if those two had attacked me at the same time," Zorro said.
Gonzales just smiled as he went back to work. He didn't even stop to think about that he had spent the whole afternoon working together with a wanted man, or that this had made him feel more satisfied with his work than he could remember in a long time.
Gabriel was startled from his thoughts when the door to the station was slammed open and Gonzales marched inside. It was about time. He had been waiting for several hours now, wondering why the sergeant wasn't coming back right after the boys' lies were revealed. Maybe they had played a really good trick on him.
At first he thought that Gonzales was angry from the way he was marching, but then he turned around and revealed the pleased grin on his face. Before Gabriel could ask for an explanation, the soldiers who had accompanied Gonzales came in with several bound men.
No way, Gabriel thought.
"Lock them up," Gonzales ordered.
Gabriel could just stare as the soldiers did as they were told. Even after they had gone to the prison area and closed the door after them, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
"What happened?" he finally asked.
"Oh, Lieutenant! It was so amazing! I wish you could have seen it, too! Zorro flew over the water to fight the bandits! And then we followed him, and I helped Zorro defeat the crooks!" Gonzales exclaimed, gesturing excitedly with his hands.
"What?" Gabriel asked. He had enough trouble registering the fact that those two brats had been telling the truth. A flying Zorro just didn't make any kind of sense. And the idea that Gonzales had done something right was beyond absurd.
"It's true! We arrived too late to catch the ship, but Zorro used Leonardo's flying machine to fly over to save the passengers. We took a fishing boat and arrived a little later," Gonzales explained. As he slowly calmed down, he started telling Gabriel how he and Zorro had defeated the bandits and how Leonardo had knocked out the leader. All that nonsense about flying went straight over Gabriel's head, but that wasn't what he cared about.
"What about Zorro? Did you get him?" he asked.
"I'm sorry?" Gonzales asked.
"Surely you didn't let him go! Didn't you try to arrest him, too?"
For a moment, Gonzales just stared at him with a dumbstruck expression. "But… But Zorro helped us. He saved all the people on the ship."
"That doesn't change the fact that he's a wanted criminal!" Gabriel yelled. Was it even possible for anyone to be that stupid?
"But I –" Gonzales started, but Gabriel wasn't in the mood to listen.
"Tell that to Captain Jekyll," he said and marched out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
This was just unbelievable. That idiot had again failed completely at capturing Zorro, even though the perfect chance had presented itself. How was it even possible to have such incompetent underlings? Gabriel kicked a little rock out of his way as he fumed to himself. He didn't watch where he was going nor did he care to; all that mattered to him was the fury that was scorching him from the inside.
Damn that Gonzales. Damn him to hell. And Zorro, too. Everything was wrong and unfair, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to punch someone. Everyone who came across him in the streets quickly shied away from him. Gabriel didn't even notice, but if he had, he would have damned them, too.
It was so easy to be angry at Gonzales that it took him a long time to even realise why he was feeling so furious. He didn't really care about that Zorro hadn't been caught. After all, he wanted to do it himself. It was just so much simpler to pretend that this was his problem because then he didn't have to admit what was really bothering him.
"I can't believe they all made a fool of me like that," he muttered. Those two brats had been telling the truth after all. It made him look like an idiot, especially since Gonzales had believed them. No doubt the whole town would soon be talking about his heroics. Then they'd laugh at Gabriel because he hadn't believed the children. He had just been sitting at the station while Gonzales was off fighting bandits!
He hated admitting that he had made a mistake like that. He had missed his chance to do something great and look good in Lolita's eyes. It didn't matter that there wasn't much he could have done in his weakened state. If he had at least believed the boys, part of the glory would have been his.
"Goddamit," he growled as he kept marching down the street, at first too angry to even notice how difficult it was to breathe. Finally, he had to stop and lean against the wall when he reached a desolate alley. Cursing his inability to even walk properly, he closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He hated feeling like an idiot. Belittling Gonzales for not capturing Zorro was the only thing he could do to make himself feel a little better about his own failure.
He spent a moment catching his breath and decided to return to the barracks. He frowned at the thought of walking the several miles, but he supposed it was just better to get it over with. Even if it exhausted him, doing something active should help him clear his thoughts before he had to speak to anyone.
Gabriel wondered if Gonzales was going to tell everyone that he hadn't believed the children. It wouldn't matter in the long run since he wasn't on duty, but he didn't want anyone to think that he was a fool. He felt his face grow hot when a fresh wave of fury swept through him as he recalled how he had reacted to the children's plea. He couldn't make any sense of what he was feeling at the moment; there was still anger at Gonzales, but it was quickly being replaced by jealousy. His loathing for himself was growing as well, and that was what he despised the most.
He kept walking down the sandy road, but it was becoming more and more tiresome with each step. Gabriel had thought he had recovered well from his blood loss, but apparently he had been wrong. Again. Frustration at his weakness was added to the mixture of emotions, and soon enough there wasn't a single positive thought on his mind.
When he had walked about half of the way to the barracks, the sound of horses reached his ears. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a carriage coming, so he stepped aside to let it pass him. When it did, he noticed that it was Gonzales at the reins. The bandits who had been captured were inside, guarded by two soldiers.
Gabriel made a face when Gonzales stopped the carriage and waved for him to get closer.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"We're taking the bandits to the prison at the barracks. You're going the same way, so climb up, Lieutenant."
Gabriel's first reaction was to yell at him to leave him alone, but he bit his tongue when he couldn't see a single sign of ridicule or smugness on Gonzales' face. The poor idiot probably hadn't even thought about rubbing his victory to his face. And he hadn't said out lout that Gabriel obviously wasn't in the condition to walk the rest of the way, even though he must have noticed.
"Fine," Gabriel grunted and took a seat on the perch.
It wasn't until he had sat down that he realised how tired he really was. He didn't even have the energy to feel too angry anymore, so he let his mind wander to apathy as Gonzales told the horses to keep going.
They arrived at the barracks some time later. All that Gabriel really wanted was to have some rest, but he hung back to see how the bandits were taken to the prison. Jekyll wasn't present at the moment, so Gonzales took charge and gave the soldiers the orders.
"Which one is the one you defeated?" Gabriel asked in mild curiosity.
"That one," Gonzales said and pointed at a lanky man in a purplish shirt.
"Hmm," Gabriel said and tried to determine whether he looked like a decent swordsman or not. He supposed it didn't matter even if he was the worst fighter in the world. It didn't change the fact that Gonzales had arrested a whole group of bandits with only two soldiers to help him.
"I wish you'd always do your work like this instead of being such a failure all the time," he said.
"What? Is that a compliment?" Gonzales asked, sounding surprised.
"No, but take it as one if you want to," Gabriel said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He started to walk away to his room.
"Thank you, Lieutenant!" Gonzales called out after him, but Gabriel didn't even turn to look.
Jekyll kept his face expressionless as he stood before Commander Raymond in his office. He had just finished telling him about Gonzales' successful arrest of the bandits that everyone in the area had been searching for. He was a little dismayed to notice that Raymond didn't seem too impressed, but he supposed that someone in his position couldn't show his emotions freely.
"Was that all, Captain?" Raymond asked.
"Sir, there is something I've been meaning to ask you," Jekyll said. The warning Gonzales had given him earlier was ringing in his ears, but he had decided to ignore it. He had to know what was going on in the area.
"Yes, what is it?"
"When I was on patrol some time ago, I was given reason to believe that the people here don't like the army," Jekyll said. He watched Raymond's face for a reaction, but the man didn't even blink.
"That's to be expected. The lower classes never like it when someone tries to bring order to their lives. If they don't like us, I'd say it means we're doing a good job," Raymond replied.
"I can't argue with that, sir," Jekyll said. "But what I saw on the people's faces wasn't just dislike. It was fear and hatred."
Raymond pursed his lips and let out a thoughtful hum. For a moment, he only stood still and tapped his desk with his fingers as he considered his words.
"I admit that we've had to be unusually harsh in this area," he finally said. "But that's only because the people here are stubborn and disloyal to the king. They refuse to pay the appointed taxes, so I have to make my men force them." The expression on his face turned into something resembling regret, and it occurred to Jekyll how badly that suited the commander's sharp features.
"I see, sir."
"If we were any more lenient here, we would have a rebellion in our hands," Raymond continued. A small smile was now playing on his lips.
"Surely that is an exaggeration, sir?" Jekyll asked.
"I'm afraid not. You must have noticed how these people give their support to Zorro."
Jekyll couldn't help but clench his jaws at the mention of the masked bandit. He had spent countless hours fuming to himself about the insolence of that man and how infuriating it was that a single man could make fun of the army like that. It didn't matter if Zorro's actions seemed justified on the surface. He was a criminal, and that was all there was to it.
"Yes, I see you have noticed," Raymond remarked.
"Forgive me, sir. My questions were out of place."
"Not at all, Captain. It's always good to express one's doubts or there will never be any improvement," Raymond said. He thought about something for a moment. "I'm a little curious. Who told you that the people here don't like the army?"
"A woman I met in town, sir. I believe her name is Lolita Prideaux," Jekyll replied.
Raymond chuckled lightly. "Ah, that doesn't surprise me. Ms. Prideaux doesn't hide the fact that her sympathies lie with the rebels. You shouldn't take anything she says too seriously."
"I'll keep that in mind, sir."
"Good. Now that this matter is settled, there are a few more things we need to discuss."
Jekyll didn't quite feel satisfied with the issue, but he supposed there was nothing he could do. Raymond was right. If the people were disobedient, there wasn't much they could do except strike back as hard as they had to. He didn't like treating anyone like that, but it was his responsibility as a loyal servant of the king.
"I'm sure you've heard the rumours that the South India Trading Company is going to set up offices here," Raymond said.
"That's right, sir."
"And what do you think about that?"
Jekyll paused to think for a moment. He had tried his best to ignore the rumours and stop his men from spreading them. Apparently, the owners of the company were foreign. He had already heard enough hostile remarks muttered around the barracks and didn't want his men to condemn the newcomers before they had even arrived.
"If they have appropriate authorization, I have nothing against them," he said.
"They have taken all the necessary measures. I assume you agree when I say that it's our responsibility to make sure they feel welcome and can start up their business here," Raymond said.
"Of course, sir," Jekyll said, and for once he was in full agreement. The arrival of the company would create new jobs and bring wealth to the area. Maybe the people would become less rebellious once the quality of their lives improved.
"I have spoken to the representatives of the company. They have already started the construction of their main offices a few weeks ago. If they requite any assistance from the army, we will give it. Is that clear?" Raymond continued.
"Yes, sir."
Raymond nodded briefly. "Good. Another thing. I'm sure you remember that Don Dias is arriving here in about a month. Organizing the security for the event was Lieutenant Gabriel's responsibility. Do you think he will be able to do that so soon after returning to duty, or should I appoint another man to the task?"
"I spoke to the lieutenant recently, and he seemed to be in good spirits. I see no reason why he couldn't fulfil the task," Jekyll said.
"That's good. I should probably have a word with him before he returns to service," Raymond said.
Jekyll found it a little odd that Raymond apparently hadn't talked to Gabriel after the accident. He had always had the impression that the two men had a close working relationship. They didn't quite seem like friends, but as close as two men with such different ranks could be. Jekyll sometimes even got the feeling that they were hiding something from the rest of them.
"That reminds me, sir. The men are talking about a possible punishment for the man who shot the lieutenant," he said.
Raymond lifted his brows in interest. "Has the man been identified?"
"No, sir. That's what keeps the men talking. They're afraid that everyone who was on duty that morning will be punished," Jekyll said.
"I can't possibly punish that many men for something they didn't do. It's regrettable, but this incident will have to go unpunished. It was an accident, after all," Raymond said. His words were just, but there was something in his eyes that made Jekyll think the commander was getting some dark amusement out of the situation. He just couldn't imagine why.
"I'm glad to hear that, sir. The men will be relieved," he said.
"I'm sure Lieutenant Gabriel understands my point as well. Besides, if we're going to punish someone for this, it should be Zorro," Raymond said.
"That's right, sir," Jekyll said.
"Very well. If there is nothing else, you're dismissed, Captain."
Jekyll left the office feeling considerably more certain than when he had come in. It was exactly as he had hoped. Raymond was strict, but he was a just and fair commander underneath all that. Jekyll was certain that things would improve for everyone in no time.